Purdue University partners up with Ivy Tech Community College with Green2Gold program

Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College have come together to offer engineering students a unique program called Green2Gold that will allow students to be co-enrolled at both institutions, earn an associate of science in engineering from Ivy Tech Community College, and then receive direct admission to Purdue University’s College of Engineering to complete a bachelor of science degree.

According to an article on Purdue University’s website, Sue Ellspermann, who serves as the president of Ivy Tech Community College, was quoted as saying of the partnership program, “Green2Gold creates an opportunity for Indiana students to achieve their dreams of a world-class Purdue engineering degree, starting at Ivy Tech. As Indiana’s engine of workforce development, Ivy Tech is proud to partner with the Purdue College of Engineering to meet employers’ needs for highly skilled engineers prepared to grow Indiana’s economy and emerging industries.”

The goal of the partnership is to open up more accessible pathways to engineering degrees for students who wish to pursue careers in engineering in Indiana. Purdue University has one of the country’s top engineering schools, making the possibility of direct admission into it for Ivy Tech Community College students an appealing one. Currently, Green2Gold is available only for students at the Columbus campus of Ivy Tech, though the program will be expanded in upcoming years.

Arvind Raman, who is the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering at Purdue University, said of the partnership program, “The Green2Gold program provides a new pathway for talented Ivy Tech students at Columbus to transfer to Purdue engineering. We are excited to partner with Ivy Tech so that more talented Hoosiers have opportunities for a Purdue engineering degree.”

The chancellor of Ivy Tech Columbus, Steven Combs, also commented about the benefit his students will see from the Green2Gold program: “This innovative partnership with Purdue puts a high-quality, four-year engineering degree within the grasp of many talented Hoosiers. Purdue is the gold standard in engineering education, and our Ivy Tech expertise in intentional, attentive and intensive cohort programming will prepare students for success on the track to a four-year degree.”

In order to receive direct admission to Purdue’s College of Engineering, Ivy Tech students will have to complete all the requirements to receive their associate degree in engineering, as well as maintain the GPA requirements of the major.

In addition to the benefit students will receive by participating in the Green2Gold program, the program is expected to be a boon for the area workforce, as well. There will be a pool of qualified potential employees who have been educated and trained in the areas of advanced manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, among others, that are ready to find careers within the state.

The Green2Gold program will also allow Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue University to jointly recruit for their engineering programs, share faculty, and expand internship opportunities for their students.

Alyssa Wilcox, who is the chief of staff to the president and senior vice president for partnerships at Purdue University, said, “As Indiana’s land-grant university, Purdue is committed to its mission to serve the state. We are delighted to expand our partnership with Ivy Tech to help address engineering workforce needs for businesses in the greater Columbus area.”

For more information about Purdue University, visit the school’s website.

For more information about Ivy Tech Community College, visit the school’s website.